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Home Insulation Products
There has been a large increase in the amount of different insulation products available as construction material technology as improved over the last several years. In the beginning of the last century most of the insulation products were natural materials, but this changed as manufactured products like asbestos and foam sheeting were introduced. Insulation now comes in a variety of types, including rigid foam, loose fill, blanket or roll products, and soundproofing products.
All building materials, including insulation, are given what is called an R value. An R value is a number that shows the products ability to provide thermal insulation. You will see lower R values on walls with light insulation or insulation that was improperly installed and so does not function correctly.
Some Examples of Home Insulation Products
Loose fill insulation requires a specialized tool that blows small pellets of fiberglass into particular areas. Loose fill insulation, which is now usually fabricated without the use of formaldehyde, works great in hard to reach places such as attics and confined spaces. Contractors can achieve R values as high as R-60 with a liberal amount of loose fill insulation.
Another form of insulation is rigid foam board insulation, which is fabricated from Styrofoam or similar material. You can also find rigid panels of soundproofing materials, although it is most commonly found as semi rigid mats or sheets. When insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are used in construction you will usually see it surrounded by rigid foam insulation on either side to give an R value of up to R-40.
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